A New Beginning
by casualty1fan
Summary: What if Max and Zoe had a baby? Could they handle being parents? & how will he ED staff react? Please R&R :)
1. Chapter 1

**This is just a thought I had about zax and what if they had a baby?  
I am not sure whether I should continue this or not cause it is very different to some of my other zax fic's, so please tell me! :)  
Some of the medical information in this fanfic is probably not right because obvious I am not a doctor, anyway please R&R****J**

**Chapter 1**

Water filled Zoe's eyes as she listened to the high pitched beep coming out of the heart machine, this sound was oh so familiar to zoe as she heard it almost every day but that didn't mean that she could ever get used to it or the effect it could have on family's if it ever went silent. A tear escaped Zoe's eye as she glanced at the vibrant line bouncing across the dark screen.

Zoe gently lowered her finger and smiled as it was gripped by a tiny baby's hand. But this baby wasn't any baby; it was baby Katie Amelia Hanna Walker, daughter or Max Walker and Zoe Hanna.

Zoe had given birth to Katie five hours ago, twenty two days early and yet she had still refused to have Max in the room with her. Zoe wouldn't let anyone see her weak and helpless, she had denied Max access to her room and would continue doing so until her tears stopped which was very unlikely to happen any time soon.

"Miss Hanna" spoke a man in a very deep voice

Zoe immediately snapped out of her daydream and turned to face the man, standing up in the process.

"Miss Hanna" began the rather tall doctor "we have done all the regular tests and what we first thought had just been confirmed"

Zoe looked down at the ground before falling back onto the chair she had previously been sitting on, bad news was all she needed right now.

"We obviously don't know what caused you to go into early labour but what we do know is that your daughter is a very healthy baby, right size and weight" the doctor told zoe "we just needed these tests to confirmed it and they have"

Zoe didn't know what to say or do; she had automatically been prepared for the worst. Zoe had only held Katie very briefly before the doctors had rushed her off for emergency tests.

"…..and as you know that means that we can take all these nasty wires away, you will be able to hold her again" the doctor told zoe as he headed towards the door letting the nurses walk into the room to detach the machine

"There is a very worried looking man back there waiting to see you" added the doctor when the nurses took the machine away "should I send him in?"

"Please" replied Zoe before turning her attention to Katie

The doctor kindly nodded as he exited the room, Zoe stood up and walked to the window which had a view of the entrance of the emergency department, something she hadn't seen for the past six months.

Zoe and Max had been very careful making sure that no one knew about their relationship, Zoe had took a year's leave from work that had begun the day of her three months scan leaving Connie and guy the only people who knew about Zoe's pregnancy, and of Couse if they wanted to keep their heads attached to the rest of their body they would never tell another living soul.

What Zoe dreaded was the day that was soon to come when she would once again have to face her colleagues, but for now that thought was pushed to the side as Zoe felt Max's strong protective arms slide around her waist.


	2. Chapter 2

**That's for all the reviews left on the first chapter, I have had such a good response so have decided to continue! enjoy this chapter and It would be great if you could review and share your thoughts****  
people have asked me why max wasn't there for the birth, that's because zoe didn't want him there as i said in the first chapter. and max does/did know zoe was pregnant that's why he was waiting outside.****  
**  
**Chapter 2**

Zoe's eyes were fixed on the yellow ambulance Jeff and Tamzin were wheeling a patient out of, she missed the ED, when she was working there was never a dull moment whether it was Max constantly flirting with her or the banter with Noel, Louise and Rita.

Zoe's eyes moved to her right shoulder which Max's head now rested, she smiled slightly as he spoke.

"I've missed you"

"You're not going soft on me Mr Walker, are you?" was Zoe response

Zoe bit her lip slightly when she heard Max laughing, but after all it hadn't even been twenty four hours. When Zoe felt the weight of Max's head lift off her shoulder she spun round gazing up at him.

"What were you looking at?" asked Max as her peered threw the window

"Well Max we are in a room facing the ED entrance what do you think I'm looking at, the car park?" answered Zoe

Zoe rolled her eyes and looked to the side where she could just about see the edge of Katie's crib, when Zoe glanced back at Max he was smiling.

"What?" said Zoe laughing slightly

"When the doctor was in here did he mention how long this mood would last?" asked Max seriously

Zoe laughed as she clasped into Max's arms, placing her head on his chest. She wanted to say sorry but that wasn't Zoe Hanna's style.

"I'm glad the fun Zoe Hanna's back" commented Max

Zoe immediately pushed her head off Max's chest, taking a step back as well as putting her hands back so that she could feel the window.

"Are you telling me that's when I was pregnant, I wasn't fun" said Zoe trying her best to be serious

"Well Zoe you were always tried, moody and overall pregnant so, no, you weren't that girl everyone wanted to be around at a party" answered Max while raising an eyebrow

"Cheeky" commented Zoe as she stepped forward and playfully hit Max

Zoe lent forward kissing Max while smiling at his last comment. Max immediately looked down as he noticed that Zoe had taken his hand.

"Aren't you forgetting something, or someone?" said Zoe which brought a smile to Max's face

Zoe once again put her hands behind her back and started to walk backwards towards Katie's crib while Max followed taking equally as small steps.

"Don't you have any questions, whether it's a boy or a girl?" asked Zoe

Max smile widened as he watched Zoe stop when she reached Katie's crib.

"So you have had the baby then" commented Max smiling

"Oh no Max, I am in labour but at the same time just casually walking around the room talking to you" said Zoe sarcastically

"Sorry" surrendered Max throwing his arms in the air

Zoe turned around and genially lifted Katie up, talking to her.

"Katie Amelia Hanna Walker, this is your daddy"

Zoe slowly passed Katie into Max's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Zoe and Max had an agreement that if Zoe had a girl, she would name her and if she had a boy, Max would name him.

"Katie Amelia Hanna Walker" Zoe said as she saw Max's smile

Katie immediately cried in Max's arms while Max's smile quickly faded.

"Take your shirt off" began Zoe casually

"What?" questioned Max

"Skin to skin contact or something, Tess told me plus I had to do it" said Zoe

"Seriously Zoe, I am not the maternal type so maybe she just doesn't like me" complained Max

"She cried with me too, plus I'm not exactly maternal" argued Zoe

"Fine" agreed Max handing Katie to Zoe while he took his shirt off "and there's me thinking that you just needed an excuse yon see me shirtless"

"I don't need an excuse" smiled Zoe as she handed Katie back to Max

Max lead Zoe over to the bed where they lay down in each other's arms with Katie and Zoe's head lying on Max's chest, a cute little family of three.

"What are we going to do" began Max stopping the lasting silence

"About what?" asked Zoe

"well where do I start, we have the ED who don't know about us and don't even know that you were pregnant" said Max "we can't drop both things on them at once"

"Well, why not?" asked Zoe

"Do you want them all to have heart attacks?" said Max "plus you can't just stroll into the ED and say this is my baby who I secretly had with the hospital porter on my years leave"

"Katie isn't and will never be a secret" said Zoe in a serious tone

"I know, it's just it will seem like that" commented Max

"Well you just act like Katie's dad" said Zoe

"But I am" said max seriously

"I know" said Zoe smiling "but around the ED, then just see if anyone catches on"

"Ok" agreed Max

"That's settled then" confirmed Zoe

Zoe and Katie cuddled into Max and were only disturbed when Zoe's phone rang.

Back in the ED, it was business as usual as no one was aware off the happy family only a few steps away, well until Tess had spotted Zoe at the window and had mentioned that she must be seeing things to Connie.

Noel was standing my Connie wondering why she was so annoyed that Zoe wasn't answering her phone, 3 calls later and when Zoe had finally picked up. Noel being the gossiper he was, was eavesdropping on Connie and Zoe's conversation, well Connie's part of the conversation.

_"Zoe, Tess said that she spotted you in the hospital"_

_"What"_

_"Really?"_

_"But you're a month early"_

_"Is everything ok?"_

_"Oh my god, really?"_

_"Ok"_

_"I must come up and see you two"_

_"Right have to go, bye"_


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for all the reviews i have received, as you know i am away alot and will not be home this week until sunday/monday so i will update then if i get 18 reviews:)

CHAPTER 4

Half way through the conversation Noel had given up as he could only hear Connie's side of the conversation but something told him that Zoe hadn't taken a year's leave for nothing and that something very unusual was going to happen very soon.

Connie slammed the phone down before rubbing the side of her nose. Tess walked over to Noel as Connie speeded off her office.

"What's up with her?" asked Tess

"Not sure, something to do with Zoe" a disinterested Noel said

"Zoe better have a pretty good explanation to all this" Tess began

"Well, why don't you ask her" Noel pointed to Zoe standing in the elevator

Zoe stepped out of the elevator cradling Katie dressed in all pink, in her arms. Max was walking behind Zoe raising his voice all the way.

"Zoe, where the hell are you going?" asked Max

"You didn't think I was going to sit all day in that horrible hospital bed"

"Zoe, you gave birth six hours ago"

"Yes, exactly, I've spend six hours to many in that room"

"What about Katie?"

"The doctor says she fine"

"She was a month early"

"She's a fighter" argued Zoe

"Well, let's just hope she gets her lay back attitude from her mother but not her wild streak" commented Max

"Oh, ha ha" said Zoe sarcastically while narrowing her eyes and smiling

Zoe turned around and was faced with Connie. Connie raised her eyebrows at zoe but then rolled them not expecting any more or less from Dr zoe Hanna.

"Zoe, I was just on my way to see you" Connie smiled at Zoe leading her to the reception desk "so this is your little miracle"

"Yes" Zoe handed Katie to Connie who took her in her arms

"Zoe, you gave birth six hours ago" Connie held Katie close "and you should be wearing a hospital gown"

"Me, in a hospital gown?" Zoe laughed "you couldn't pay me"

"Sorry, you gave birth?" Chocked Noel

"yes, six hours ago" commented Max getting a roll of the eyes from Zoe "she needs to rest, BUT SHES NOT LISTENING!"

"Zoe, why are you here, you're on a year's leave" Tess smiled

"Well you could say, I was in the area" Zoe said sarcastically rolling her eye

"You could say that" Connie began "May I" Connie gestured towards the forming crowd

"Yea" Zoe replied as Connie passed Katie back to Zoe

"This is zoe's daughter" Connie proudly announced

There were many whispers around the crowd to Louise asked the question Zoe had been expecting.

"Don't you have to be pregnant to have a baby?"

"Shall me go to the office" Connie asked knowing that louises question was not going to be the only one


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews I have received! Sorry for any mistakes and I will update tomorrow (probably tomorrow morning) when I get 28 reviews****J**

**CHAPTER 5**

"I'm fine here" Zoe smiled holding Katie firmly in her arms "we can talk later"

"I just thought that maybe you would like to avoid the questions" Connie said in almost a whisper

"Right everyone listen up" shouted zoe across the Ed "yes this is my daughter, yes I was pregnant, no you can't run a bet on who her father is and of course I know who her father is cause I'm not a slag"

Everyone looked around try to tell who was going to be the first to comment, but no one did before Zoe spoke again.

"Any questions?" Zoe took the answer as a 'no' when the ED was once again filled with science

"Shall we go into the staffroom?" Zoe asked Connie

Connie smiled and nodded; glad someone had dealt with the hospital gossiping problem. To Connie's surprise Zoe spotted max in the back ground and walked over to him making sure he could hold Katie properly before she handed her to him.

"can you hold her to I talk to Connie in the staffroom?" asked zoe with a smile, she knew that max would love the time with his daughter even though she knew with the staff, max and Katie weren't going to get much time alone.

"Sure" max tried to sound convincing "take as much time as you need"

"Thanks" Zoe secretly winked at max as she followed Connie into the staffroom

"Are you sure, we can bring Katie with us if you want" Connie asked Zoe as they walked to the staffroom

"Max will be just fine" Zoe answered

"Is he not, a bit, immature? "Connie inquired

"I think max is more grown up than anyone knows" Zoe smiled as Connie held the staffroom door open to walk through

Max jiggled Katie up and down as he held her in his arms, max slowly walked towards the reception deak keeping his eyes on Katie the whole time and not noticing the forming crowd of staff ready to meet Katie.

"I never knew you were so good with children" Tess smiled as she looked at Katie sleeping in max's arms

"What?, I'm not" max knew it was different with Katie and that he nor Zoe was the type to have children

"Can I hold her," asked Tess

"Sure" max gently passed Katie over to Tess, then turned around to the reception desk expecting to get all the gossip from noel and Louise.

"Should we not wait on zoe for everyone to play pass the parcel with her baby?" asked Louise

"Her names Katie" pointed out max

"How come you got to 'mind' her?" asked noel

"Because zoe trusts me" max smiled as noel and Louise thought he was joking

"Did you know Zoe was pregnant," asked noel

"No and can we stop with all the questions?" max asked "you two are worse than Katie when she's crying"

"But we only met her" pointed out Louise

"I was there when Katie was born" max rubbed the back of his neck noticing a couple of turned heads

"What? you actually were there, like in the room?" noel stuttered

"No, outside" max pointed out

"Why?" Tess butted in as she handed Katie back to max "we didn't know Zoe was pregnant"

"I was moving a patient when I heard a doctor chatting about zoe, she was in a labor a month early so I thought she could use someone" max lied, saying the first thing that came into his head "but I have to say, after giving birth zoe still looked spectacular"

"So she actually invited you in the room?" Charlie was curious

"Of course" max didn't know what to say "when she had the baby"

"And the father?" asked noel, curiosity getting the better of him

But will max reveal his and Zoe's secret?


	6. Chapter 6

**Again thank you for all the lovely reviews, I love reading them! :) Here is chapter 6, sorry for any mistakes and I will update tomorrow or Wednesday when I get 35 reviews:)**

**CHAPTER 6**

"Yes, I was outside with the father" max lied again

"So the father wasn't inside?" Louise asked what everyone was thinking

"Listen, if anyone wants to know anything about Zoe giving birth to Katie then asks her" max got end up of being asked question after question, even though he expected it "having babies isn't my department"

"Just one more thing, the father?" was the subject everyone was interested in, but Tess was the brave one to ask the question

"Now that would be telling" max smiled at his new advantage over the rest of the staff

"Do we know him" the questions started again

"You could say that" max answered confidentiality

"Who is he?" a voice called out from the crowd

"Let just hope Katie gets her good looks and brains from her mother" max said as he watched Zoe come out of the staffroom

Zoe smiled at max as he handed Katie back into her mother's arms.

"Thanks" Zoe secretly winked at max

"Just before you go, can I...?" max stopped mid-sentence and pointed his head towards Robyn

"Sure" Zoe smiled "staffroom?"

"Yea" max followed Zoe into the staffroom and as he got to the door turned around as he felt everyone's eyes on him "I'm going on a course, Zoe said she would help me"

Everyone bought max's excuse except Connie as she knew that max wasn't going on any course.

Max closed the door behind him so that he could have a bit of privacy.

"Right are we going to do this?" asked max taking a deep breath

"If we don't do it now, we will keep keeping it off till it's too late" Zoe answered "do you want to be alone?"

"Let's rephrase that, you don't want to be here just incase robin flips and slaps you because when you were her boss you were sleeping with her brother" max laughed at Zoe's reaction

"Do you mind?" Zoe asked knowing that it probably would be best, her not being in the room

"No" max smiled as he kissed Zoe on the top of the head

Zoe passed Katie to max as she left the room, making sure she closed the door behind her so that max and Robyn could have some privacy. It took Zoe a few minutes to locate Robyn, but she finally found her in an empty cubical with Louise, lofty and Caleb gossiping, but of course Zoe wasn't surprised.

"Robyn" Zoe said Robyn's name before she could clearly see that she was in the cubical "max wants to see you in the staffroom"

Robyn smiled and walked to the staffroom, only leaving Louise, lofty and Caleb in the cubical and it didn't take a genius to know what they were talking about.

"Questions" Zoe said after a long science

"Who is he?" asked Louise

"None of your business, and anyway you wouldn't believe me if I told you" Zoe answered

"Are you are still in a relationship with him?" asked lofty

"Or were you even in a relationship with him to start with?" Winked Caleb

"I am still in a 'relationship' with him" Zoe was sick of answering questions

"Zoe" Connie butted in at the right time

Connie glanced at Caleb, Louise and lofty which got them back to work in a second. Connie had overheard Zoe's conversation with Louise, Caleb and lofty and had took in her answers, beginning her own quest to find out who Katie's father is.

"Where's Katie?" asked Connie

"She fell asleep in the staffroom" Zoe lied

"How exactly" Connie remembered that Katie had come down to the ED in her mother's arms, nothing else

"Max was holding her" Zoe lied again

How will Robyn take the news that she is an aunty and will Zoe and max be able to calm connie's suspicious?


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews, I always love to read them!:)  
Sorry for any mistakes in this chapter, I will update ASAP if I get 44 reviews****J**

**CHAPTER 7**

"Max?" Robyn said as she entered the staffroom making sure she closed the door behind her

Robyn stopped a she saw max sitting in the middle of the staffroom with Katie sleeping in his arms; he was a natural which Robyn didn't understand. According to Robyn, max had never held a baby in his life.

"I never knew you were so n maternal" Robyn voice made max jump and Katie wriggle slightly in her sleep, max looked up and took a deep breathe

"Anyway, why did you call me in here?" asked Robyn "it's really busy, so you will have to make it quick"

"as in busy, you mean you're busy gossiping?" asked max who knew that not only was the ED quiet today but that Robyn would take the opportunity to gossip about zoe and Katie.

"Well, it's not every day you find out that the most non maternal woman in the world has had a baby….." Robyn began until she was stopped by max sharply standing up

"I would just stop…..before you say something that you regret" max raised an eyebrow at Robyn when she gave him a confused look

"I think Katie likes you" Robyn immediately stopped smiling as she told max this, something told her that max was some part of the child he was holding. Just the way max looked at Katie and Zoe told her so, but that definitely didn't mean that she was really to be told the news or even believe it.

Max gently passed Katie into Robyn's arms without her fully realising that he had done so. The next thing max did was perhaps the strangest looking to Robyn as he closed all the blinds making the only light coming through the small window in the corner as Robyn quickly passed Katie back to her father.

"max what….." began Robyn who was immediately cut off but max saying something that she will perhaps never fully get over or even forget….

"she's your niece" max pretended to look out the window as he said this, avoiding all eye contact with Robyn as he didn't want to see her reaction. Would it be happy or sad or could she even be angry with him and Zoe for keeping their relationship a secret.

Max was relived as at that exact minute Zoe came walking through the door thinking that max and Robyn had enough time to sort it out between them.

Zoe was shocked when out of the blue Robyn hugged her in the doorway of the staffroom, not giving her a moment to think.

"It looks like a family reunion" Charlie laughed to Tess before they both, open mouths turned to each other, suddenly realising something.

**But will Tess and Charlie find out Zoe and max secret and will Robyn spread the news that she is now an aunty?**


End file.
